ALBANY – More than half of Americans say First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton should run for U.S. Senate in New York, a poll yesterday showed.

Seventy-five percent of Democrats, 50 percent of independents, and one-third of Republicans said it was OK for the First Lady to run in a state where she’s never lived or worked, The Associated Press poll found.

Overall, 54 percent of Americans said Mrs. Clinton should run for office in New York.

On a general question about whether any president’s spouse should be able to run for office, Republican opposition disappeared and a total of 73 percent of those surveyed answered “yes.”

The poll, conducted for The AP by ICR of Media, Pa., found 65 percent of Republicans believe elective office is appropriate for a presidential spouse.

The telephone poll, of 1,016 adults, showed 57 percent of Americans giving Mrs. Clinton an approving grade – considerably higher than the 48 percent who approved of her husband, President Clinton.

About one-third said Mrs. Clinton would be “most effective” as a U.S. senator, while the remainder said she would have more influence as the head of a foundation, as a writer and lecturer, or as a lawyer.

Women and lower-income wage earners said she would be most effective as a senator.

Senior state Democrats have said repeatedly in recent weeks that they are convinced Mrs. Clinton will run for Senate in 2000.

The First Lady has announced she’ll set up an exploratory committee next month.

Mrs. Clinton has stepped up her appearances in New York, with visits to upstate Binghamton and Manhattan on Wednesday and Thursday.

The new poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.